Battery case



A. K. ROHE/ Nov. 2, 1965 BATTERY CASE Filed June 21, 1963 i I NVENTOR-gid fidfilz di'w MM, @WW

United States Patent 3,215,304 BATTERY CASE Andreas Karl Roh,Konigstein, Taunus, Germany, assignor to Walter Glass, N orthfield, Ill.Filed June 21, 1963, Ser. No. 289,585 Claims. (Cl. 220-45) Thisinvention relates generally to containers, more particularly tocontainers for corrosive fluids, and most particularly to cases forstorage batteries of the type that are used in automobiles for startingpurposes.

In the past, battery cases have been constructed from hard rubber; andthe covers have been secured in place by means of a sealant material.Although the hard rubber from which the prior art battery cases havebeen made possesses adequate resistance to the chemical activity of thebattery acid, battery production has been impeded by the time requiredto mold the cases. Contrary to hard rubber articles which requireappreciable time to mold, injection molded plastic parts may be producedboth rapidly and economically; and many of the plastics which aresusceptible of molding by the injection method are sufficiently inertchemically to be considered for battery cases. However, seriousdifliculties have been encountered heretofore in sealing the plasticcovers to the plastic cases, due to least in part to the lack of aperfect fit between the covers and the cases resulting in imperfectadhesive bonds.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to provide aplastic battery case in which the cover is effectively sealed to thecase.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedcontainer for corrosive fluids.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for corrosivefluids in which the cover is hermetically sealed to the case.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel joint forcontainers that must be leakproof.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent from a consideration of the following disclosure.

A container in accord with the invention includes a case and a cover forclosing the case. A groove is provided at the top edge of the case, anda cooperative tongue is fashioned adjacent the periphery of the coverfor fittedly entering the groove of the case. A suitable number oflaterally projecting ribs of deformable material are disposed on thetongue spaced relative to each other; and the total thickness of thetongue and one of the ribs is arranged to be greater than the width ofthe groove whereby to deform the ribs into intimately contactingrelationship with the confronting wall of the groove upon insertion ofthe tongue therein. Solvent cement is coated on the walls of the grooveto bond the tongue to the groove particularly at positions interjacentthe ribs.

In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood,two embodiments thereof applied to storage battery cases, but to whichthe application is not to be restricted, are shown in the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery case structure arranged incompliance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, elevational view taken substantially along theline 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged view in cross-section and in elevation,showing the details of the tongue and groove which are fashionedrespectively on the cover and the case of the battery case structure ofFIG. 1, the tongue and groove being shown in disassembled condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to the showingof FIG. 3 but illustrating thetongue and the groove in assembled relationship, the deformationexperienced by the ribs of the tongue upon such assembly beingexaggerated for purposes of illustration; and FIG. 5 is an enlarged,crosssectional view of a modified cover and tongue constructed incompliance with the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, abattery case structure indicated generally by the numeral 10 is seen toinclude a body or case proper 12 and a cover 14. The body 12 includes abottom 16 and a continuous sidewall 18 that upstands from the bottom 16merging into the edges thereof. The body 12 also includes internalpartitions 20 which divide the case into three separate cells. Ofcourse, the body 12 may be provided with any number of partitions todivide the case into whatever number of cells is desired. According toconventional practice, the body may be provided with bridge elements,not shown, rising from the bottom 16 to define sediment chambers in eachof the cells. In compliance with a feature of the invention, however,the sidewall 18 of the body 12 is provided at its upper edge with achannel 22 that defines a continuous groove 24.

The cover 14 is intended to provide a closure for all of the cellsincorporated in the body 12; and in accord with conventional practice,the cover 14 is fashioned with threaded, aperture-defining formations 26opening individually into the cells of the battery case structure. Thecover 14 is also perforated with holes 28 for the respective terminalposts and with holes 30 for the cell connectors. Adjacent its peripheraledge, the cover 14 is provided with a tongue or skirt 32 which isadapted to enter the groove 24 in a closely fitted manner. The tongue 32is a continuous or endless element to promote its cooperation with thecontinuous groove 24.

In compliance with an important feature of the invention, a number ofribs 34 are situated on the tongue 32 projecting laterally outwardlytherefrom. The ribs 34 are fabricated of a resiliently deformablematerial and are spaced vertically in parallel relationship, each rib 34encircling the tongue 32 in a continuous manner. Turning to FIG. 3, eachof the ribs 34 is seen to be fabricated to possess a base which is widerthan its tip, the ribs 34 being specifically fabricated to be pointed.With further regard to FIG. 3, the tongue 32 is seen to be fashioned soas to be tapered slightly toward its free edge whereas the groove 24 isformed so that its sidewalls converge toward the bottom. In addition,the total thickness of the tongue 32 and a rib 34 is particularlyfashioned to be greater than the width of the groove. Accordingly, whenthe tongue 32 is forced into the groove 24, the ribs 34 are deformedinto intimately contacting relationship with t-he confronting wall ofthe groove.

In one specific embodiment of the invention, the ribs 34 have beenfashioned from a modified polystyrene plastic, preferably astyrene-butadiene copolymer or an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenecopolymer. Advantageously, the ribs 34, the tongue 32 and the remainingportions of the cover 14 are fabricated from the same material, beingformed integral therewith by the injection molding method. The case 12is fashioned as a one-piece unit from the same material and by similarfabricating techniques. Of course, other resinous plastics and otherpolymers may be used in the present invention; and polyolefinic plasticsof the rigid type represent one such alternate material.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 3, the use of a bonding medium actingbetween the tongue 32 and the walls of the groove 24 is contempated toproduce a leakproof joint at this juncture of the cover 14 and the body12. More specifically, a layer 36 of a suitable adhesive is applied tothe walls of the groove 24, and the adhesive material of layer 36 maytake the form of a solvent acting to soften the surface of the walls ofthe groove or a solvent solution of a suitable resin or elastomer. Thelayer 36 of adhesive material is applied to the walls of groove 24 whilein an active state; and thereupon, the cover 14 is assembled to the body12 with the tongue 32 fittedly inserted in the groove 24. ConsideringFIG. 4 for the moment, it will be noted that a portion of the layer 36of adhesive material is collected between the tongue 32 and the walls ofgroove 24 interjacent the ribs 34, the cooperating tapers of both thetongue and the groove serving to insure situation of the adhesivematerial at these regions upon assembly of the cover and the case. Inuse, the ribs 34 and the layer 36 of adhesive material join the surfacesof tongue 32 and groove 24 and act to compensate for or accommodateirregularities in the joined surfaces. A hermetic seal results.

The groove 24, the tongue 32, and the ribs 34 act to seal the cover 14and the body 12. It is also desirable to provide a seal between theindividual cells defined in the body 12 by the partitions 20. Thereforeand returning to FIG. 2, a channel 38 is seen to be fashioned at the topedge of the partitions 20, the channel 38 defining a groove 40 whichopens at its ends into the groove 24. cooperatively, the cover 14includes depending plates 42 which are alignable with the grooves 40 andwhich terminate in tongues 44. The tongues 44 are fashioned similarly tothe tongue 32 whereby to enter the grooves 40 in wedged fashion. Inaddition, the tongues 44 are provided with laterally protruding ribs 46which are constructed and function similarly to the ribs 34.

While one embodiment of the invention has been thus far shown anddescribed, it should be understood, of course, that the invention is notstrictly limited thereto since many modifications may be made. Thereforeand in order to enhance the understanading of the invention, a modifiedembodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5, like numerals havingbeen used to designate like parts and the sufiix letter at having beenutilized to distinguish those elements associated with the embodiment ofFIG. 5.

The modified embodiment of the invention is particularly characterizedby the shaping of the ribs 34a to be truncated in nature, that is,frusto-pyramidal in shape. The modified embodiment is also characterizedby the provision of ribs 48 which project laterally inwardly from thetongue 32a in horizontal alignment with the ribs 340:, ribs 34aextending laterally outwardly from the tongue 32a. The ribs 48, like theribs 34a, are of truncated nature; and because of the provision of theribs on both sides of the tongue 32a, the total thickness of the tongueand the ribs on the opposite sides thereof is arranged to be onlysufficiently greater than the width of the corresponding groove to causedeformation of the ribs upon assembly of the tongue to the groove, thetotal thickness of the tongue and the ribs being selected, of course, tobe insufficiently great to prevent entry of the tongue into the groove.

The specific examples herein shown and described are to be considered asbeing primarily illustrative. Various changes beyond those describedwill, no doubt, occur to those skilled in the art; and such changes areto be understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as theyfall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A container comprising: case means; cover means for closing said casemeans; a groove member on one of said means; a tongue member on theother of said means for fittedly entering said groove member; alaterally projecting rib formation of deformable material on one of saidtongue and said groove members, the total thickness of said tonguemember and said rib formation being greater than the width of saidgroove member whereby said formation is deformed into intimatelycontacting relationship with a confronting wall of the other of saidtongue and said groove members upon insertion of said tongue member intosaid groove member; and bonding means acting generally between saidtongue member and said groove member.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said tongue member is acontinuous element, wherein said rib formation is a continuous elementand wherein said deformable material is resiliently deformable.

3. A container comprising: case means; cover means for closing said casemeans; a groove on one of said means; a tongue on the other of saidmeans for fittedly entering said groove; a laterally projecting rib ofdeformable material on said tongue, the total thickness of said tongueand said rib being greater than the width of said groove whereby todeform said rib into intimately contacting relationship with aconfronting wall of said groove upon insertion of said tongue therein;and bonding means acting between said tongue and. said confronting wall.

4. A container comprising: case means; cover means for closing said casemeans; a groove on one of said means; a tongue on the other of saidmeans for fittedly entering said groove; a plurality of laterallyprojecting ribs of deformable material on said tongue spaced relative toeach other; the total thickness of said tongue and a said rib beinggreater than the width of said groove whereby to deform said ribs intointimately contacting relationship with a confronting wall of saidgroove upon insertion of said tongue therein; and bonding means actingbetween said tongue and a wall of said groove interjacent said ribs.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said rib formation is widerat its base than at its tip.

6. A container according to claim 5 wherein the tip of said ribformation is pointed.

7. A container according to claim 5 wherein the tip of said ribformation is truncated.

8. A container according to claim 1 wherein the sidewalls of said groovemember converge toward the bottom thereof and wherein said tongue membertapers towards its free edge.

9. A container comprising: case means; cover means for closing said casemean; a groove on one of said means; a tongue on the oth' r of saidmeans for fittedly entering said groove; rib means of deformablematerial projecting laterally from bpth sides of said tongue, the totalthickness of said tongue and the rib means on the opposite sides thereofbeing greater than the width of said groove whereby to deform said ribmeans into intimately contacting relationship with the confronting wallsof said groove upon insertion of said tongue therein; and bonding meansacting generally between said tongue and said groove.

10. A container for corrosive fluids comprising: case means; cover meansfor closing said case means; a continuous groove on one of said means; acontinuous tongue on the other of said means for fittedly entering saidgroove; a plurality of laterally projecting, continuous ribs ofresiliently deformable material on said tongue spaced relatively to eachother, the total thickness of said tongue and a said rib being greaterthan the width of said groove whereby to deform said ribs intointimately contacting relationship with a confronting wall of saidgroove upon insertion of said tongue therein; and bonding means actingbetween said tongue and a wall of said groove interjacent said ribswhereby to form a hermetic seal between said cover and said case at saidtongue and groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,252 6/ 25Chamberlain. 2,748,677 6/56 Berlant 22045 X FOREIGN PATENTS 535,068 5/55Belgium. 924,722 3 /5 5 Germany.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

10. A CONTAINER FOR CORROSIVE FLUIDS COMPRISING: CASE MEANS; COVER MEANSFOR CLOSING SAID CASE MEANS; A CONTINUOUS GROOVE ON ONE OF SAID MEANS; ACONTINUOUS TONGUE ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEANS FOR FITTEDLY ENTERING SAIDGROOVE; A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY PROJECTING, CONTINUOUS RIBS OFRESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE MATERIAL ON SAID TONGUE SPACED RELATIVELY TO EACHOTHER, THE TOTAL THICKNESS OF SAID TONGUE AND A SAID RIB BEING GREATERTHAN THE WIDTH OF SAID GROOVE AND WHEREBY TO DEFORM SAID RIBS INTOINTIMATELY CONTACTING RELATIONSHIP WITH A CONFRONTING WALL OF SAIDGROOVE UPON INSERTION OF SAID TONGUE THEREIN; AND BONDING MEANS ACTINGBETWEEN SAID TONGUE AND A WALL OF SAID GROOVE INTERJACENT SAID RIBSWHEREBY TO FORM A HERMETIC SEAL BETWEEN SAID COVER AND SAID CASE AT SAIDTONGUE AND GROOVE.